Fred Barstad

Summary: If you’re new to exploring the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains, Fred Barstad’s Hiking the Eagle Cap Wilderness is a very useful guide. I recommend it for hikers and climbers seeking reliable trail information.

Why It’s Great: Barstad expertly details 98 hikes and 16 climbs across the 580-square-mile (1,500 km²) Eagle Cap Wilderness. I used this guide to plan a five-day loop in the Lostine River area, incorporating five hikes: Bowman Trail, Chimney Lake, show more North Minam River, and Copper Creek, along with the West Fork Lostine River trail. The descriptions were invaluable for route planning. For instance, Barstad’s note about the shallow upriver crossing on the West Fork Lostine River. His mention of Sky Lake enriched my trip; I would have missed that gem. The included maps and elevation profiles were spot-on, aligning closely with my GPS tracks post-trip.

This book is now my go-to for future Eagle Cap Wilderness adventures. Next year, I plan to tackle Falls Creek (Hike 15) to Legore Lake and combine it with a partial scramble up Twin Peaks North Ridge (Climb 10).

Suggestion for Readers: Pair this book with the Wallowa Mountains Eagle Cap Wilderness Green Trails Map G475SX. It offers a comprehensive overview for both planning and navigating in the field. show less